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LONDON — The United Kingdom — famous for extreme politics, queer love and barely-there sarcasm — is preparing to give the world its whimsical best with the coronation of King Charles III this weekend.
A nation that basically has two gears – quiet reservation and over-the-top flag-waving – will latch on to bunting and street parties as it hopes to prove that when it comes to pomp and ceremony, some Brits can be thrown as
Saturday’s coronation in the heart of London promises a heady mix of pageantry, strange ancient tradition and grand surroundings, all attended by the great, the good and Prince Andrew. obviously expected to be Drizzling,
If you’re not quite over the bejeweled swords of your offering, let POLITICO walk you through Saturday’s festivities.
at 6 am: Public viewing areas are open along the main processional route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. Many, ahem, committed Raj Bhakts have already made their way there in the last few days in the hope of getting a good sense of their rule and others,
7.15 am: less important In terms of security, the first 2,000 or so guests start coming in at once. Expect an eclectic mix of celebrities, family friends, faith leaders, and more.
7.30 am: The never-ending global broadcast of the King’s coronation begins. Set your alarm to see how the best time is spent in the biz and make commendable attempts to guess the identities of foreign dignitaries.
9.00 am: They less important Guests are seated inside Westminster Abbey.
9.30-10.45 am: big dogs Liz arrives as Truss. Members of the royal family, current and former prime ministers, ministers and heads of state from around the world will grace our TV screens, although not US President Joe Biden, who according to the always-reliable Donald Trump, sleeping in delaware, Jill Biden will replace him.
French President Emmanuel Macron will be the most senior European leader, with Germany and Italy opting to rest their star players Olaf Scholz and Giorgia Meloni. Beware of Macron and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak staring longingly on each other across the platforms.
9.45 am: — wait for it — the Sovereign’s escort of Household Cavalry will begin assembling for the King’s procession.
10.20 am: The King, accompanied by his wife, Camilla, will travel along the Mall in the late Queen’s luxurious Diamond Jubilee coach – equipped with air conditioning, hydraulic suspension and electric windows – from Buckingham Palace. TV helicopters will be flying, tracking the wandering coach through various London landmarks on its way to Westminster Abbey. The noise you’ll hear is London Mayor Sadiq Khan saying “ka-ching”. Expect a slightly awkward royal wave.
11 am: With 2,000 guests at their place – and the king arriving at exactly 10.53 – the real fun and games begin. according to the Daily Telegraph, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is MC’ing the whole shebang, will ask for the recognition of the monarch. In response, the congregation – and willing member People across the nation would shout: “God save the king. Long live King Charles. Long live the king.” no pressure.
During the two-hour ceremony, Charles will take the oath, at some point kiss a special gold-leaf Bible, and be anointed — with holy oil — via the coronation spoon (because, of course, he will). . A hymn will be sung in Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic. Charles will be presented with top royal regalia – real fancy stuff – including a coat of gold silk, a jeweled sword and an orb before his coronation with the St Edward’s Crown. Then come the gun salute. In a symbolic act, Charles will be escorted from the coronation chair to the throne. once her husband did getting everyone’s attentionCamilla will have her own brief ceremony to be crowned as Queen. There are many more, but few of us have the word count.
1 PM: The coronation is expected to end with a procession returning to Buckingham Palace. King Charles and Queen Camilla travel in the Gold State Coach. Ballers.
1.45 pm: The King and Queen are given a Royal Salute on the west terrace of Buckingham Palace Gardens, with soldiers performing three rounds of applause.
2.15 pm: And the crowd goes… wild, perhaps, as members of the royal family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for uncomfortably waving, pointing, and a fly past. will harry be there? Oh, the stress!
And that’s it — for Saturday — in regards to official, public content. There will be more events across the UK, including a concert at Windsor on Sunday and so-called big luncheons, which Sunak will host on Downing Street. Our invitation must have been lost in the post (well, there there have been some attacks Recently, to be fair).
monday: It’s now a bank holiday in the UK, which means people who don’t work in the newsroom get a day off! It is being described as a Big Help Out, where citizens are encouraged to volunteer, and not Hangover Monday, as it may prove otherwise.